Blogs from Northern Territory, Australia, Oceania - page 314

We spent the first night in Darwin (pronounce Dah-win) drinking with our traveling companions. Free jugs of beer kept landing on our table and the beer drinking masses (so everyone but me) happily consumed it. After drinking like an Aussie all night, Rachel and i headed back, happy to sleep in a real bed! In the morning we went exploring... down to the beach. Darwin would be an excellent resort city if everything that lived in the ocean around there didn't kill you. Between the box jellyfish and the sharks, the water (and thus the beach) is a no go, or just a place to view from a far. In the afternoon we headed out to the museum and the beach (for the view of course). The best part of the musuem was on the typhoon ... read more

The bats returning from their night search for fruit woke me up in Mataranka (rachel slept through it). Next stop, Katherine, which is almost as large a city as Alice Springs. We spent an hour wandering as Tim and Daylight bought more food, then we set up camp, ate lunch and headed to the gorge. We went "canoeing" in the gorge. We'd probobly call it Kayaking, because the boats were flatter, the seats were deeper in the boat, and we had paddles with paddles as both ends, if that makes any sense. Uwe was my partner and we started out strong. Things were going really well, a little crooked at times, but we were really moving. The we started to notice that we were sitting in water. A lot of water. We pulled over and Daylight ... read more

After passing the Breakaways Rach, the two Irish John's, and Uver (he;'s german) and i switched busses and headed to Uluru. We camped in swags, think an candy wrapper made of canvass that you put your sleepig bag in and become a cocoon to avoid the frigid desert nights. At 5 am we got up to see Sunrise then hike uluru. Only Rachel and 2 japanese girls from our bus violated the wishes of the native owners to not climb uluru. So they when up, while the rest of us went around the base. Uluru is huge (which is why it is famous) and all red sandstone. The stone looks so different in the light and from angles. At points it almost looks like cloth, it has that drapery look to it. It is so beautiful. ... read more

Decided to change my flight over to Heathrow... Mainly cos' I could use the extra fortnight before I leave, but also because I decided I wasn't too keen on my first extended stay in another country was gonna be Ho Chi Mihn city for 7 hours!!  So going thru Dubai now and on to Amsterdam, then into London!!  I'm about to head out now and buy my luggage for the trip, so...... Will write again later!!  Ciao for now!! Toni   :o)... read more

Hello all! My name is Toni. I turn 26 on the 18th August and Darwin, Northern Territory is my home. In 87 days I am embarking on the trip of a lifetime! Very excited!! Pretty darn nervous too, but I think that's good!! At midnight on the 25th July, I fly to Sydney to spend some time with my Brother & his family, and also a good friend of mine. Then on the morning of August 2nd, I depart from Sydney (On Vietnam Airlines!) bound for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where I will have 7 hrs to have a look around, then off to Paris just before midnight. I'll have a couple of hours to get a grip on the Paris airport, which will be very helpful as I will definitely be returning there. Then ... read more